Conductor s check holder



Dec. 27, 1 949 J. o. B. JOHNSON 2,492,480

CONDUCTORS CHECK HOLDER Filed May 31, 1949 W 4 9- ff 13 Z, M t 27 1; 12 /6 24 J f7 f5 Johan O. B. Johnsoh IN VEN TOR.

4 TTORNE Y Patented Dec. 27, 1949 UNITED" STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ICONDUC'IORS cnEcK HOLDER Johan 0-. B. Johnsom. nl ingrex. Application May 31, 1942); Serial? No. 96,250

5 Claims. (01. zoo-40.5) I

This invention relates to ticket or check holders and moreparticularly to certain improvements in hat check holders: usually employed by railway conductors.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a check holder which, by virtue of its peculiar shape; has certain advantages over conventional devices for like purpose, in that it consists of a case having two chambers adapted to hold checks having different color characteristics and which chambers are axially offset to better accommodate the caseto the palm of thehand. A

recess is thus: provided. in the case to receive the third finger of the hand and a foldable ring is disposed. in an appropriate position inrelation to the recess to'be: received by the finger as ameans for holding; the device inthe'palm of the hand.

Another object of the invention is toprovide a conductors hat check holder consisting ofa case made up of two complementary chambers, each having therein a false bottom under which is one or more coil springs normally urging the false bottom outwardly to advance a stack of checks on the false bottom towards the open face of the chamber for ready detachment of checks singly from the stack. The invention also includes among its novel features a ball attached to one corner of the false bottom in each chamber of the case and which is retained in a tube affixed to a corner of the chamber and capable of 1ongitu dinal sliding displacement therein by virtue of a slot in the wall of the tube. Thus, the false bottom is held for free movement in the chamber to insure like movement of the checks to position for removal.

Still another object of the invention is to provide in each of the chambers of the case an opening in one end thereof to expose the ends of the checks nearest the open face of the chamber for free access to the checks therein and adjacent which opening an end of a guide tube for the false bottom extends beyond the plane of the face of the case to define a stop to limit endwise displacement of the checks exposed at the opening.

With the foregoing objects in view, the invention has further reference to certain features of accomplishment which will become apparent as the description proceeds, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of a check holder constructed according to the invention shown held in the hand.

Figure 2 is a view in longitudinal section, taken on line 2-2 of Figure 3.

Figure 3' is a rear elevational view of the case, and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view, partly in section, showing the ball and guide tube for holding the false bottom of each chamber for freemovement therein.

' Continuing with; a more detailed description of the drawing reference numeral I'll denotes genrally the check or ticket case which is made up of two: identical compartments or chambers it Whichare longitudinally offset, as shown, for the purpose to be presently explained.

' These chambers H are closed; at the bottom by a plate I 2, shaped to conform tothe offset relationship of. the chambers and this plate is provided with. circular depressions l3 in which are retained the ends of aplurality of coil springs I4, two-in each compartment H. The opposite ends of the spring in-each compartment bear against the underside of a plate or false. bottom l5 whose dimensions areequal to-those of the compartment it in which it moves. The springs 14 are 001- lapsed by cards, checks or tickets l6 inserted under a plate I! which closes the lower front portion of the compartment I I and whose lower edge is curved slightly outward at l8, as is likewise the lower extremity of the walls of each compartment at l9 to facilitate insertion of the cards into the chambers.

The upper portion of the top check of each compartment is exposed to enable the conductor to make notations or inscriptions thereon and is held down by a tab 2| formed on and turned inwardly at right angles from a Wall of the compartment II.

The upper end of each compartment II is cut away as at 22 to expose the upper ends of the topmost checks of the stack in each compartment. This provision is to enable the conductor to more easily remove the top card by lifting its upper end and withdrawing it from under the tab 2| and the partial cover plate IT.

The false bottom plates I5 are held for free movement in their respective chambers II by means of a ball 23, afiixed to an uppermost corner of the plate l5 by means of a neck or stem 24. The ball is slidable longitudinally in a tube 25, one being affixed to a corner of each compartment. The tube is slotted longitudinally to accommodate the stem 24 of the ball and is closed at its outer end to prevent release of the ball and thus prevent removal of the false bottom I5 from its compartment. Moreover, it will be observed especially in Figure 2 that the outer ends of the tubes 25 extend slightly beyond the face of the case to thus afford a stop against which the upper ends of the top checks abut and to remove the topmost check, its upper end must be lifted over the protruding end of the tube 25.

Afiixed to the rear plate I2 is a hinge 26 and to which is attached a ring 21. The hinge is so positioned that the ring 21, when the case is not in use, may be folded onto the plate I 2, in the manner shown in Figure 3, to embrace one of the embossments defined by the depressions l3 and thus lie flush with the common plate thereof. However, when the ring is in operative position, the third finger of the hand is inserted therethrough, as shown in Figure 1 and the finger may be closed to lie in the recess formed by the offset chambers and thus hold the case in an appropriate position for the removal of checks therefrom or for making inscriptions on the checks.

Manifestly, the construction as shown and described is capable of some modification and such modification as may be construed to fall within the scope and meaning of the appended claims is also considered to be within the spirit and intent of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A conductors hat check holder comprising a case composed of two rectangular chambers in longitudinally offset relationship defining a recess at each end of the case, a false bottom in each chamber, a slotted tube afilxed in parallelism to a corner of said chamber, a ball on a corner of the false bottom in said chamber and slidable longitudinally in the tube, spring means normally urging said false bottom outwardly of said chamber, a finger ring hinged to said case adjacent one of said recesses for supporting said case and means for holding checks against release of said chambers under pressure of said spring means.

2. A conductors check holder comprising a case composed of two check retaining chambers in longitudinally offset relationship defining a recess at each end of said case, said chambers each having an opening in one end to expose the ends of checks therein for removal singly from said chamber, a false bottom in said chamber, spring means collapsible under pressure of checks in said chamber, a longitudinally slotted tube at one corner of said chamber, a ball on said false bottom and slidable in said slotted tube to hold said false bottom against release from said chamber and means hinged on said case and movable in relation to one of the end recesses thereof for supporting the case from a finger of the hand.

3. A check holder comprising a case having at least one chamber for retention of checks, said chamber being provided with a cut-away por tion at one end to expose the ends of topmost checks therein, a longitudinally slotted tube on said chamber extending at one end beyond the face of said chamber and defining a stop prohibiting displacement of checks through the cutaway portion of said chamber, a spring actuated false bottom in said chamber for urging checks towards the front thereof, a ball extension on said false bottom slidable longitudinally in said slotted tube to hold said false bottom against displacement from said chamber, means for holding said checks in said chamber against the pressure of said false bottom and means pivoted to said case for supporting the same from the finger of the hand.

4. A check holder as set forth in claim 3, in which the case supporting means consists of a finger ring hinged to the rear wall of the case and foldable in inoperative position into flush engagement with said wall.

5. A check holder as set forth in claim 3 in which the end of the chamber opposite the cutaway portion is open for the reception of checks and whose walls are flared outwardly about the open end to freely admit said checks.

JOHAN O. B. JOHNSON.

No references cited. 

